Forbidden Truths
by roxas is LOVE
Summary: A story of family, denial, and truth. Cloud and Roxas discover that they have more in common than just their parents.
1. Wake Up Call

**Wake Up Call**

Life is so full of choices. It's your own decision of whether you take the bus to school or walk; who you sit with at lunch; who you call friends and who you don't. However, if anything, there is at least one thing that you have no say in, and that's family. When it comes to family, you have no choice, no decision, no 'buts'; they simply are. You don't have the power to choose who is related to you and who is not, but sometimes we wish we did; times like six o'clock on a Wednesday morning.

"Good morning, Sunshine, this is your wake up call!"

An enthusiastic voice pierced through the darkness, followed by the sound of springs crying in protest as weight was suddenly thrown onto them. It was as though someone had thrown a large wet dog on his bed, but in reality, it was something equally wet but far more annoying. Cloud wished it was just a large wet dog.

"Get off my bed, you disgusting little worm," he hissed, kicking his brother as he pulled his pillow over his head. Roxas laughed and crawled further along the older male's bed, wrapping his fingers around his brother's covers and pulling them off him. Instantly, Cloud lashed out and snatched them back with one hand, the other hitting Roxas across the head with his palm. "Get out!"

Roxas, who must have just got out of the shower because his hair was still dripping with water, jumped off the bed laughing and went to the curtains, pulling them as far open as he could. The sunlight, although it was rather dim, lit up the room considerably, forcing Cloud's blue eyes closed. A growl formed in his throat as he lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the light, a glare instantly falling upon Roxas as his eyelids flicked open. Taking this as a sign that his brother was well and truly pissed off with him now, Roxas dropped the curtains and ran from the room, slamming the door closed on his way out. Cloud could hear him laughing all the way down the hall, before silence gradually took over his room again.

That boy had a nerve, waking him up so early when he didn't even have to be at school until ten o'clock. Roxas knew exactly how to press his brother's buttons, and did as such at any given opportunity. However, much to his dismay, Cloud was the older one and therefore the 'more responsible' one, as his mother put it. In other words, he couldn't do much about the way Roxas provoked him. Whenever he returned the favour, Cloud got into far more trouble than anything Roxas ever did; all because he was supposed to rise above it. Cloud understood what his mother meant by it, but sometimes it was incredibly hard to remind himself of it as Roxas continued to antagonize him. Apparently Roxas was just going through a phase … one that he'd been experiencing since he was five.

Cloud was the sort of person who couldn't get back to sleep once he'd been woken up, so with a sigh he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the fuzzy navy blue carpet coming into contact with his feet. After a moment and a bit, Cloud's eyes readjusted to the darkness and allowed him to stand up without the high risk of him falling over. The eighteen year old ran a hand through his blonde hair, the other rubbing his eye lazily. With a disgruntled moan, Cloud approached his door, wrapping his fingers around the door handle and opening it with a frown. His parents weren't here; Roxas was going to pay.

--

Cloud found the smaller blonde in the kitchen, sitting on the counter and watching some cartoon that was playing on the small television in the corner beside the kettle. He was still in his pyjamas, like Cloud, except now his hair had been dried and was looking as it always did: spiky. Roxas looked up at him as he neared, a childishly innocent smile curling up on his lips after he'd realized what situation he'd just fallen into. Cloud folded his arms across his chest, which was adorned by a simple navy shirt, a disapproving look appearing on his face. The fifteen year old bit his lip, watching Cloud expectantly.

"This is going to hurt you much more than it's going to hurt me." Cloud stated, eyes narrowing. Roxas continued to watch the older male, and Cloud knew his brother well enough to know what was going to happen next. In a flash, Roxas jumped off the counter and made a run for it past Cloud. However, the older blonde was too quick for him, putting an arm out and catching his fleeing brother. The boy struggled against him as he pulled him towards him, holding the other tightly in his arms and restricting the movement to a bare minimum. Roxas wriggled hopelessly, groaning in an irritated fashion before he finally shouted out.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" he yelled, squirming uselessly in Cloud's firm hold, "I-I just … didn't want to be alone while I was getting ready for school." The eldest rolled his eyes, refusing to ease his grip on Roxas.

"Don't give me that, Roxas. You get ready every day on your own; today is no different." Cloud growled, holding even tighter to the boy as he continued to twist and turn in attempt to free himself. Roxas knew that Cloud had much more strength than him, but he was very relentless when he needed to be. He sighed, but it was one of aggravation.

"Fine, you win, now let me go!" he muttered in defeat, but didn't stop struggling. Cloud shook his head, though he knew that Roxas couldn't see him, as he was holding him so that he faced the other way.

"No, I don't think I will." He said sternly. At Cloud's answer, Roxas became still. The older blonde was slightly surprised by the way his brother gave up, but wasn't at all curious as to why. Roxas leaned back against the other, body becoming limp as his head dropped with a sigh.

"Cloud …" Roxas whined, drawing out the pronunciation, making him sound like a small child. The said male let go, putting a hand on the back of the other's head and pushing him away. Roxas stumbled forwards, but soon caught his balance before falling over. He brushed the non-existent dust off the black shirt that he wore to bed, and then pulled his silky red boxers up properly, as they'd slipped down a little while he struggled against his brother's hold. Cloud folded his arms across his chest again, giving Roxas a look that told him that trying to run off again was a bad idea.

"If I have to tell you one more time to stay out of my room, I'm going to hang you up by your ankles on the roof, understand?" he said threateningly. Roxas glared at him for a moment, but nodded for risk of being locked in a closet, which Cloud had done once last year when he refused to co-operate. Cloud turned to leave, but Roxas grabbed his wrist.

"Will you drive me to school?" he asked, surprisingly nicely. The older boy shook his head, mouthing the word 'no'. Roxas shook his wrist violently, half jumping as he whined. "Please, Cloud? I don't want to catch the bus!" he whimpered. Cloud shook his head again.

"Then walk, it'll do you some good." He said, jerking his hand away from the boy.

"The weatherman said it was going to rain, and the sky's already grey!" Roxas pleaded, bright blue eyes becoming wide and despondent. Cloud looked out the window, seeing whether or not his brother was telling the truth. Sure enough, the sky was already lined with dangerous grey clouds. He turned back to his brother suspiciously.

"Why don't you want to catch the bus?" He asked.

"I've missed it."

"It's quarter past six, you lying runt."

Roxas frowned, staring at Cloud angrily. He sighed, his expression becoming a more depressed one. At first, Cloud thought the small blonde was trying to lead him on, but the way Roxas spoke so genuinely sadly made him think otherwise. "There's this boy … and, well, he's kind of been giving me a hard time." Roxas mumbled, eyes dropping to the tiled ground that they stood on. Cloud's face softened, blue eyes surveying his brother curiously. "Who's giving you a hard time, Roxas?" he asked. The younger male looked up at him, almost ashamed.

"It's Seifer." He whispered. Cloud frowned. Seifer was a kid in his year, one who wasn't exactly the sweetest cookie in the jar. In fact, he was the bitter coffee that made you want the cookie in the first place. He had a sort of personal vendetta with Cloud's best friend, Leon, and had apparently opted to give his little brother hell.

Taking Roxas to school meant that he had to get ready himself, because once he was there he would have no time to go back home again. Cloud contemplated letting his brother suffer after what he'd done that morning, but as he turned away, he sighed. "Fine, but you owe me." He said, piercing blue eyes wandering to the wall clock with a pained expression. To think, he could've still been asleep if it weren't for siblings. Oh, why couldn't he have been an only child? Roxas bounded past him, thanking the other as he disappeared into the hallway.

--

Roxas was the sort of person who seemed to almost have a split personality. When he was provoking his brother to the point that he lashed out, the young blonde was generally pretty spirited, but any other time he seemed to be in his own little world. He'd willingly speak to you when spoken to, or if something is needed to be said, but otherwise he's awfully quiet and deep in thought. What exactly he was thinking about, Cloud never knew, nor did he ask. Cloud knew that, when asked, Roxas wouldn't give a truthful answer anyway. His thoughts were almost like a secret, one that he rarely confided in anyone.

The clouds were on the brink of a downfall, painted such a dark grey that they made the sky a dull black. It was eight o'clock, but the sky was sinister enough to deceive anyone into believing it was still night time. Cloud watched the road with little interest, his head lights showing that there was no one else on the road besides him. Roxas was sitting in the passenger's seat, his elbow propped up against the door and his head leaning into his hand, vibrant blue eyes staring unfocused into the oncoming storm. As they pulled into the school grounds, Roxas sighed. After finding a parking spot and turning the engine off, the older male averted his gaze onto his brother. Roxas hadn't moved at all, even though the car wasn't even running anymore. Cloud knew that something was wrong.

Before he had a chance to ask what was bothering him, however, Roxas pressed the button to release his seat belt and opened the door without so much as a word. He grabbed his bag, shutting the door gently behind him. Cloud folded his arms, leaning back into his seat as he watched Roxas curiously, who was walking with his hands in his pockets and his bag slung over one shoulder. The younger boy had always been the sort to bottle up his emotions, to keep his troubles as his own, to pretend that everything was just dandy when, in fact, they weren't. Cloud's reflections were cut short as the doors to the backseat suddenly opened, three figures piling in.

"- so then I told him that he could only wish that he was man enough to admit to being gay, and he almost hit me, but then Mrs. Merryweather turned around the corner and he walked off."

"Good for you, it's terrible to think that Seifer would poke fun at people for being gay. But in his case, I thinks he's bi, actually."

Cloud looked at the two females, who were already deep in conversation, through his review mirror. "Who's bi?" He asked, a quizzical look appearing on his features. Aerith's attention fell onto Cloud, a slightly surprised expression on her face as though she hadn't even realized he was there.

"Oh, didn't you know? It turns out that Axel is." She replied casually, brushing away the small creases on her pink skirt. Yuffie nodded as if to confirm Aerith's answer.

"There's quite a few of them announcing it now, aren't there?"

Cloud turned to look at the third person in the back seat, recognizing her instantly from her long black hair. He nodded at Tifa, who smiled warmly. "Yeah, there are." He replied nonchalantly. In all honesty, he didn't see anything wrong with it. It was such a silly reason to put people down; they were just as human as the next person. It was incredibly biased to be so judgemental of them.

"Sora's gay, isn't he Cloud?"

Cloud's cousin, Sora, was indeed gay. He had announced it to his family a while ago, along with the fact that he was dating Riku, his best friend. At first, Cloud felt a little awkward around him, but in turn, he felt incredibly guilty about feeling any different towards his cousin because of it. He got over it fairly quickly, but Roxas had never had a problem with it from the word 'go'. Cloud nodded to answer Yuffie's question, before the passenger seat door opened.

"What's up with your brother, man?" Leon asked, sitting in the car and shutting the door. Cloud shrugged, watching the brunet as brushed a leaf off the fur collar on his jacket.

"I have no idea. But, apparently, Seifer's been bullying him." He replied, listening gratefully as a series of unappreciative coughs, groans, and snorts came from the backseat. Leon sighed heavily, putting his elbow on the door and leaning into his head much the same way Roxas had done.

"Seifer's such a fucking twat." Leon scowled. Cloud gave a small laugh at his best friend's comment. Leon had a burning hatred for Seifer, even more passionate than Roxas' loathing of him. From the middle seat in the back, Yuffie leaned forward so that she was between Leon and Cloud.

"Changing the subject!" she said loudly, "We're going to go to the park on Saturday night; Zack said he'd bring alcohol. You have to come, alright Cloud?"

"I can't, Yuffie, I have to look after my brother, remember?"

"Aw, I'm sure that Roxas would love to come too! Just bring him."

Cloud gave her a disapproving look, before turning his head towards the window with an irritated sigh. The sound of soft whimpers drifted around the car, causing Cloud to look back at Yuffie, who was pouting with wide eyes. She looked much like a puppy, which made the blonde feel obliged to give in to her. He sighed again, but this time in defeat. "Fine, I'll ask him if he wants to go."

"Awesome! Saturday's going to be a blast, Cloud, you won't regret it!" she said enthusiastically. Cloud rolled his eyes, checking his watch to see that class didn't start for another couple of hours. Yuffie's classes, however, started soon.

"Get lost, Yuffie, homeroom will start soon." He said with a smile. As Yuffie clambered over Tifa to get out, Aerith leaned forward towards the two males in the front.

"Hey, do you guys want to go get some coffee?"

Cloud started the engine.


	2. Day of Days

**Day of Days**

One thing about family is the ability it has to suddenly appear in the worst times. When you're just about to get into trouble, or just about to cause it, it is always at that precise moment that they round the corner and spring you. Being told off by a teacher or the likes is easily forgotten, but when it's a family member giving you the lecture, the "I'm disappointed in you" line is in a whole new light. However, just to balance things out, in times when you're doing nothing in particular and dying of boredom, family is no where to be seen; times like first period English class.

"Roxas, please explain to the class what an 'anaphora' is."

The said boy looked up from his paper, which he'd been idly scribbling symbols and patterns on. It took him a moment to register what the teacher had asked him, before he sat up straight to answer. "It's a rhetorical device," he replied. The teacher nodded in rhythm with her slow hand gesture, an indication to explain further. "Uh … it's the repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive constructions?" he continued, trying to remember if that was an anaphora or some other useless English thing that starts with 'a'. Maybe he was thinking of 'alliteration'.

"That's correct."

"Excuse me?"

"You're right."

"I am?"

"Yes."

The teacher smiled at him before turning back to the blackboard, her hand already poised at its surface with a piece of white chalk. Roxas was mildly surprised, as he wasn't exactly the best at rhetorical devices. The teacher loved him, though, which he found rather creepy. His thoughts were disturbed when Pence turned in his seat to look at him. "You totally just memorised it from the book." He said warmly. Roxas gave a quiet, short laugh.

"He can't do anything by himself."

The voice came from his left, and when Roxas looked, he saw that Sora was leaning back in his chair with a smile. He should have known immediately that it would be him, because no one else really challenged his smarts. Well, the little that he had. English wasn't his forte, but he wasn't completely hopeless.

"Oh yeah?" Roxas said quietly, "I can do this." The blonde gave his cousin the finger, careful to hide it from his teacher in case she turned back around. Sora gasped softly, a hand moving to his chest in mock shock. He abandoned the look and replaced it with one of disappointment, shaking his head gently.

"Tsk tsk, Roxas. I expected better from you, of all people." He said.

"Alright, students, as I said yesterday, you're going to be getting a project today. It's in pairs – oh please, stop that!" She snapped, as some students had begun to hiss – or that's what it sounded like – in approval. "Right, so as I was saying. It's in pairs, but _I_ will be partnering you up with someone." As opposed to the class' reaction moments earlier, there was a loud, long moan from the students in unison. It made Roxas want to laugh, the way the class acted as one in such situations.

Whilst people were being paired up, Roxas had begun talking with Olette, who was sitting next to him. They were talking about locking teachers in insane asylums when they expected students to do homework on weekends. He didn't even hear his name being called out, so if it weren't for Olette he never would have heard who was going to be his partner. He half wished that she hadn't told him.

"Roxas will be partnered with Miley."

Roxas' heart sank. 'Oh, please no,' he thought, 'please not her.' When he looked back at Olette, she was giving him a sympathetic expression, a small smile that said 'it's not that bad.' The blonde sighed, looking over at his new partner. She was beautiful, and everyone knew it, but that didn't make him feel any better. She was sitting at a desk amongst the other popular girls, running a hand casually through her pencil-straight blonde hair. Her pale blue eyes drifted over to him, but he didn't smile the way he usually would when someone looked at him. She pursed her lips, jerking her head to the side ever so slightly so that her bangs swayed out of the way of her eyes. Without a word, or a smile, or any friendly action, Miley turned away.

Miley was the personification of the stereo-type popular. She was pretty, she was a cheerleader, she was dumb, and she was, to put it nicely, a cold-hearted bitch. She didn't show compassion to anyone who wasn't in the 'popular group', because they weren't worth her time. She wouldn't look twice at you in the hallway if you weren't someone that was accepted by her friends at the top of the social ladder. However, the worst thing about her was the way she put people down. Miley never stopped to consider someone as a person, one with feelings that can be built up and torn down, but rather as some form of being that was beneath her and her plastic friends.

With an irritated cough, Roxas turned back to his paper and continued to scribble little pictures on it. The teacher went back to the blackboard and continued the lesson, the rest of the class either taking notes or passing them.

--

"What is a rainy day without a cup of coffee?"

Cloud looked up as Aerith smiled lovingly down at the cup she was holding with both hands. She lifted it to her nose, sniffing it leisurely before taking a sip. They were sitting at a table in the corner of the cosy coffee shop, the table pushed up against the wall. Aerith and Tifa were sitting next to each other on one side, whilst he and Leon sat on the other. Tifa giggled quietly at Aerith, before raising her own cup to her lips and drinking her tea. Cloud turned to look at Leon, eyebrows creasing as he saw the other scribbling surreptitiously on the wall under the table.

"Leon, stop that." Tifa said, kicking the brunet in the leg. Leon frowned at her, moving his legs away from her. She put a hand out, resting it on the table expectantly. As reluctant as he was, he put the pencil in Tifa's hand. Cloud smiled, his gaze falling into his cup, which he was holding idly in his hands. He tipped it back and forth slowly, watching the coffee sway gently. He felt something brush against his leg, vibrant blue eyes becoming locked on the table as he focused all his attention onto whatever was lightly grazing his knee. It wasn't long until he realized that it was Leon's leg.

"So, are you two going to go on Saturday?" Leon asked, folding his arms on the table and looking at the girls. Tifa nodded with a smile, but Aerith coughed shortly and rolled her eyes. Upon catching Leon's questioning grey-blue gaze, Aerith raised her eyebrows.

"Of course I am, I have to watch over you lot and make sure you don't drink yourself into oblivion!" she replied, waving her hand slightly towards the two males. Cloud and Leon laughed, Tifa grinning before taking a sip of her tea. Aerith smiled warmly, before turning her attentions onto Cloud. "So, are you going to bring Roxas?" she asked.

Cloud didn't really want to bring his brother to the park, even though he knew the boy didn't drink. The older boy knew a lot about what his brother did, like the way he'd steal his father's cigarettes when something was bothering him, but he knew that Roxas didn't like alcohol. Alcohol and Roxas just didn't go down well. It was like hot oil and cold water; when mixed the result was painful.

"I guess so, if he wants to go."

Aerith smiled, before making a small gasping sound. "Oh! I just remembered that our English essay is due at the end of next week. Have you done it?" She asked, tilting her head slightly and looking straight at Cloud. The male groaned, rolling his eyes and swiftly running a hand through his hair. He hadn't even read the book! As though Leon knew exactly what was wrong, although he hadn't told anyone, he made an offer that'd fix it all.

"Don't worry; I'll help you with it on Monday after school."

Leon looked at his watch, before nudging Cloud with his elbow. The blonde took this as his cue to get out the way, so he stood up and to one side. Close behind, Leon clicked his fingers at Tifa, who'd zoned out into a daydream.

"Don't you snap your fingers at me!" she protested. Leon did it again, directly in front of her face. It was something a toddler would do; repeating their actions one more time after they'd been told not to, just to press their limits. Tifa practically growled at him, but the brunette just laughed and walked towards the door. Aerith rose, followed by Tifa, and Cloud trailed after them on the way out.

--

"Way to go, Rox."

Roxas looked up, usually angelic blue eyes swarming with traits of fury. Hayner pointed to a girl running down the hall in the opposite direction, clutching her books to her chest desperately. He shrugged, unsure as to what Hayner was getting at. The other rolled his eyes, an amused grin growing on his lips. "You just knocked her over!"

In all his self pity, all his anger, he hadn't even noticed that he'd pushed a year eight out of the way. He scoffed coldly; he didn't care. She shouldn't be in the way. He leant against the blue lockers, folding his arms across his chest. Olette opened one of the lockers near his head, handing him the lock. He heard her shuffling papers and books around, but his attention was elsewhere … Or nowhere, really. His eyes became unfocused as he began thinking about how terrible this English project was going to be.

Miley was an idiot, and she never did her homework. He'd heard her talking to her friends about how her brother had done her work for her on countless occasions. Only a fool could think that she'd help with a group assignment, and Roxas was no fool. He knew that he'd have to do this project on his own, and Miley would still get credit; her cunning smile always won that stupid English teacher over. It didn't matter how much Ms. Belle loved him, Miley would always be one step ahead.

"I'll take my lock back, please." Olette said, putting a hand out expectantly. Roxas stared at it blankly, gradually snapping out of his thoughts and handing her the gold lock. He sighed irritably, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"She's as dim as a candle-lit room, and I got stuck with her." He growled.

"If it wasn't you, it'd have been someone else." Hayner said, shrugging casually as he leaned back on the wall opposite Roxas. Roxas rolled his eyes, pushing his bottom jaw forward unhappily.

"So long as it wasn't me …" He grumbled.

Olette patted his shoulder in a comforting manner, opening her mouth to say something. Before she could even make a sound, however, an unpleasantly familiar gang rounded the corner. Roxas took one look at three seniors making their way down the hall and turned his head away, rolling his eyes and sighing in a viciously irritable fashion. A scoff reached his eyes as the three stopped in front of them.

"What's wrong, pipsqueak? Not happy to see me?" He jeered, folding his arms across his chest. Roxas snorted angrily.

"It's always a pleasure, Seifer." He replied, every syllable dripping with sarcasm. The said male laughed mockingly, glaring at the smaller blonde with genuine hatred. Roxas returned the look with ease, ignoring the deadly silence that had fallen over his friends. Everyone was quiet for a moment, before Hayner stepped up to Roxas' side.

"Get lost." He said simply, waving a hand and shaking his head lazily. He just didn't want to put up with them anymore.

"Yeah, shouldn't you be fucking your mother right about now?" Roxas hissed. He didn't even see Seifer move until he was already pinned against the lockers, the stronger blonde holding him up by the collar of his black hoodie. His hands instantly moved to Seifer's chest, pushing him away, but to no avail. The older male was strong enough to hold him so that the tips of his shoes could just brush the floor, the feeling of being held up making him feel vulnerable. Seifer snarled, but it soon twisted into a smirk.

"It's not my mother I've been screwing, it's yours. Aren't you wondering why your parents aren't getting along?" He whispered. If Roxas' eyes had showed even the slightest bit of fear when Seifer pinned him to the blue lockers, it was long gone now. If it was possible, his eyes would have turned bright red from the burning flame of anger that had risen up through him. It didn't matter if Seifer had the upper hand in their positions; Roxas lost it all the same.

Seifer didn't see it coming, probably because he didn't know Roxas could do it whilst being held up. Roxas fist met Seifer's jaw in such forceful contact that the older boy dropped him instantly. The smaller male, not expecting Seifer to let go so quickly, slid down the lockers until he was sitting on the ground, before hastily pushing himself to his feet before the senior thought to kick him. Seifer's hand flew to his jaw, his eyes narrowed and mouth emitting a growl that would intimidate a grizzly bear. Just as the taller blonde drew his fist back to punch Roxas, but with much more force than the boy had punched him, another voice filled the hallway.

"Seifer! That's two days in a row that I've caught you misbehaving!"

A short, stout woman came waddling towards them, her blue dress sweeping the floor half-heartedly. Seifer let his arm fall limp at his side, staring at the textiles teacher disappointedly. Roxas figured that he'd waited a long time to finally get a chance to punch him, and then a teacher comes along and rains on his parade. Even though he wouldn't admit it, he was quite thankful that Ms. Merryweather had showed up; he didn't quite fancy walking around school all day with a black eye.

Ms. Merryweather whisked them off to the principal's office immediately, muttering and grumbling a barely audible lecture to them both; however neither were paying attention. The entire time they were walking to the office, Roxas' mind became shrouded in scared anticipation, but not because of the meeting with the principal – because Cloud was going to find out.

--

Cloud had been in class for no longer than five minutes when the school secretary knocked on the classroom door. Ms. Megara, or Meg as everyone seemed to call her, pushed open the door nonchalantly and waved him over. At first, Cloud wasn't certain if she was gesturing for him or the person behind him, but when his teacher said his name, he stood up. Unsure if he was in trouble, the blonde racked his mind for anything that he'd done wrong lately, but he couldn't think of anything worthy enough to earn a trip to the principal.

"Come, Cloud, your brother's been sent to the office." Meg said casually after closing the door behind him. Cloud sighed, which made Meg smile. Of course it was his brother, he'd been acting so strange lately that it was to be expected of him to be sent to the office. He followed her down some steps and out of the building, heading towards the office. Neither Meg nor Cloud said a word as they walked, but Cloud was too busy thinking of all the stupid things Roxas might have done to get him in such trouble.

--

"Get to class, moron."

Cloud pushed his brother in the direction of his next class, growling slightly as he did so. Fighting in school was a quick way to get suspended, and Cloud knew it. He knew he probably wasn't the best person to lecture Roxas about fighting in school, seeing as he'd been suspended two or three times for it over the last two years or so, but he just didn't have the time to worry about his brother being home alone while he was at school and his parents were away. Who knew what that kid would do? Fortunately, however, Cloud had managed to save Roxas from being suspended, but only just. He got a harsh warning, threatening to suspend him if he does it again. Cloud knew he wouldn't, not by the way he dragged his feet as he walked away from him, and didn't utter a word while he was being yelled at.

Shaking his head in frustration, the older male watched Roxas amble away, before he returned to his class as well.

--

"Ouch, he was really that mad?"

Roxas nodded, his gaze cast at his feet as he walked along the sidewalk. The tall boy at his side smiled sympathetically at him, his startling light green eyes watching him intensely. Roxas had explained everything to Axel as they walked home, because he hadn't even bothered asking Cloud for a ride, already knowing the answer. Axel had listened to every word he said, which he didn't usually do. Often Roxas would notice that Axel had tuned out of conversations when they were with other people, but the redhead always listened to what he had to say. He appreciated that a lot.

Axel turned down his street, waving goodbye and disappearing behind a tall fence that led to a side alley. Roxas didn't have a clue as to where that boy was going. As the blonde opened his mouth to call out to Axel, asking why he wasn't going home, a voice came from behind him. It was a voice that made his heart sink and stomach turn, anticipation and dread filling him up like he was an empty bottle. Turning to face the boy who had called his name, he couldn't be less surprised if he tried. It was Seifer.

"Did you think I'd let that swing you took slide? Hell no, you little bitch."

Seifer approached him with even steps, though he was evidently angered. As soon as he reached Roxas, who hadn't moved since he turned around, the taller blonde shoved him, and hard. No sooner had he done so, he coiled his fingers into a fist and drew his hand back. Suddenly, someone grabbed Seifer's fist before he had a chance to make a move.

Roxas hadn't even seen him pull up, but there he was, holding Seifer back from hitting him. Cloud grabbed the front of Seifer's shirt and pulled him away from his brother, before taking a step in front of the said fifteen year old. "Back off. If you have a problem, take it up with me. Don't you know better than to pick fights with kids younger and smaller than you?" Cloud said calmly, though his voice was edged with a tone that told Seifer that he wasn't fooling around in the least, "It doesn't make you seem any stronger; it makes you look like a coward."

Seifer scoffed shortly, before turning on his heel and jamming his hands in his pockets. As the other senior walked away, Cloud returned to his car, which was parked on the side of the road. "Get in, Rox." He said calmly, opening the door to the driver's side and getting in. Roxas, who'd remained completely silent and still the whole time, did as he was told, albeit a little surprised that his brother wasn't mad.

After a while of driving in complete silence, Cloud turned to look at the smaller boy. Roxas noticed him out of the corner of his eye, and simply continued to look out the window. It was like a conversation without words, because they both knew what the other was going to say before they said it. Cloud looked back at the road before speaking. "Alright, but I want you to tell me eventually." He said gently. Neither said a word after that.

--

Besides the faint glow of the television, the lounge room was in complete darkness. The low buzzing from the television, which would have been people's voices if Cloud had bothered to turn it up, was the only thing that could be heard. Cloud was lying on his stomach on the couch, staring at the TV with unfocused eyes. He wasn't watching it, although it seemed that way, but just thinking. He was wondering what he was going to do about his essay, and if it was possible to read the book in a week or less. He'd come to the conclusion that reading the entire book in such a short amount of time was out of the question; if he dropped in on someone's foot it would break their toes, that's how thick it was. He was thankful that Leon was going to help him, and on their day off. On the coming Monday all seniors had the day off, but Cloud had long forgotten why.

Suddenly, the door opened, instantly spreading light over him. He saw Roxas' shadow cast over the space of carpet between him and the television, but didn't look up. His brother stood their quietly for a moment, before Cloud saw him shift his weight onto one leg, his voice filling the room soon after.

"I'm going to bed." He said quietly. Cloud didn't say anything, but couldn't help but wonder why Roxas had come to tell him. Usually Roxas just went to bed without saying a word to him, unless it was to provoke him. The door closed, once again tearing the light out of the room as though someone had thrown a thick blanket over a light bulb.

Roxas had changed lately. He was still annoying at times, when he built up the energy to push all Cloud's buttons, but he'd also mellowed out. So much so that it worried Cloud; his brother was having odd mood swings. As he looked down from the television to the carpeted floor, he wondered if Roxas was secretly a girl. He smiled, amused and guilty at the same time. With a sigh, he pushed himself up onto his knees and got off the couch with a slight stumble.

The blonde walked to Roxas' bedroom, opening the door slowly and slipping in without a sound. He closed the door behind him, blocking out the light from the hallway so that the only light was the weak rays of moonlight that shone through his open curtains; the perfectly round moon in direct sight. Roxas was already in his bed with the covers pulled up to his chin, and from what Cloud could see, he was awake. The older brother walked towards Roxas' bed, sitting on the edge once he got to it.

"Mom and Dad haven't gone on a vacation just for fun, have they? They're trying to save their marriage." Roxas whispered. Cloud knew that Roxas was going to figure it out, and when he walked through that door, deep down he knew his little brother was going to confront him. He nodded, the moonlight catching his motion for Roxas to see. "Are they going to get a divorce?" The small blonde asked, still whispering, though a little quieter than last time. Cloud looked at Roxas for a moment, watching the younger boy staring back at him with desperate eyes. He put his hand on the bed, looking down at his lap.

"I … I think they probably will. Their marriage is on the rocks at the moment, and Mom says it's not getting any better." Cloud replied. He was taken aback by Roxas' actions.

He felt Roxas' hand slide underneath his, the one on the bed. Cloud looked at his brother in mild surprise, the sight of him with eyes on the verge of tears and the soft sound of his breath catching in his throat … it made his chest hurt. Roxas looked like he was about to cry then and there, but he didn't. Cloud heard him swallow, take a deep breath, and blinked away the tears furiously. The boy held Cloud's hand, and so he held it back. It was painful to see Roxas upset about something, especially since he didn't cry too often, and never in front of Cloud. However, it seemed that now was no different, because soon Roxas took his hand away.

"Get out; I want to go to sleep." Roxas said softly, a few cracks breaking his words almost unnoticeably from the pain in his voice. Cloud didn't say anything about the way Roxas had suddenly changed his style of words to be more aggressive, instead he muttered: "Alright." Standing up, he walked to the door, where he stopped once he'd opened it.

"If you want me to take you to school tomorrow, just ask." He said, before stepping out and closing the door behind him, heading to his room to get ready for bed.


	3. Oscar

**A/N:** Wow, it's been a year. I bet you weren't expecting me to update this, were you? Well, neither was I. But I realised that this is my most popular story, for some reason, and it's STILL getting favourites and reviews after a year of inactivity. So I thought I'd start it up again. Is that exciting? I hope so.

Also, you get brownie points for guessing why this chapter has this particular title. Really, I'd be impressed xD

**Oscar**

Forgiveness can be hard to come by at the worst of times. You may make a mistake, may do something foolish, and suddenly the entire world has turned its back on you. Walking down the street, you may be met with dirty glances cast your way, or a former lover may cross the busy road just to avoid you. It could be for any number of reasons, you could have done any number of things, but forgiveness is usually found in black and white. There is no halfway. You're either completely forgiven, or that flicker of resentment is still held against you, in which case you are only tolerable. But family is always an exception, and they are generally quicker to accept you and all the faults that trail along behind you. They'll pick you up when you've fallen down, and say 'Fuck You' to the world when it doesn't want to look at you. You know you're never alone when you have family to fall back on, but sometimes you're too blinded by emotion to see it; times like lazy Saturday afternoons.

The sun was setting. An array of warm colours were blending into one another smoothly, and the clouds were gradually dwindling into nothing more than wisps, and would surely be gone entirely by the time it got so dark that he couldn't see his hand in front of his face – usually around eleven o'clock. The little children who usually played in the streets were gone, leaving nothing but their bicycles and rubber balls in their wake. Dogs were barking stupidly at God-knows what, and he could see a cat prowling around the neighbour's hedges, eying a little bird as it hopped around aimlessly. It wasn't even dark yet, but the breeze had made a rapid decline from warm to bordering on freezing, and it made him shiver slightly despite his best efforts to ignore it. Roxas was sitting on the roof, his knees bent and his wrists balancing on them casually. There was a cigarette between two of his fingers.

"You really should stop that; it isn't going to help you any."

Without tearing his gaze away from a teenage couple making out on the doorstep of a house across the road, Roxas lifted his hand, sliding the cigarette between his lips. He sucked in a breath, and then pulled it away again. Returning to his former position, he waited a few seconds before bowing his head, exhaling and distantly noticing a loose piece of string in the crotch of his jeans. "Yeah, well, maybe it isn't help that I'm looking for." He muttered in response, fingering his pants curiously. Cloud was obviously standing on the ladder that Roxas had used to climb up from the balcony, because he had his arms folded on the roof with his chin resting on them, staring up at him calmly. There was a moment of silence between them, if you disregarded those bloody dogs.

"You're smoking the wrong thing if you're after an escape." He said gently. Roxas only scoffed, still observing the fabric over his groin with pseudo interest. He tapped one end of the cigarette, making ashes fall off of the other.

"I know, but my usual dealer is on holiday in the Bahamas." He sneered, lifting his head and bringing the fag to his lips again simultaneously. He made certain that he didn't so much as glance at his brother, and instead focused on the man that had come to separate that couple he'd been watching just moments before. He smirked. Suckers.

The past two days had been terrible. If they had just been bad, then he would've passed it off as any regular day, but they had been so much more. So much _fucking_ more. Not only had he been forced to spend over five minutes with Miley Rivers, working with her on some stupid English assignment about 'To Kill a Mockingbird', but she didn't contribute a damn thing. He'd actually stopped talking at one point, staring at her in disbelief, and she continued to nod and 'Mhm' for a good thirty seconds until she noticed the daggers being thrown at her. It wasn't like she cared, though. Roxas could have broken down crying out of frustration and hurt, and she would have only complained about the noise he was making. Hell, he could pass out right in front of her, and she'd tell him to mind her shoes. He knew, because she was just that kind of superficial bitch.

But Miley wasn't his only problem, and she definitely was not the most stressful. Seifer had not some much as brushed the hairs on Roxas' arm since Cloud had intervened on Wednesday, but he was lurking around in an unfriendly manner that intimidated the smaller male. He was too proud to admit that he was bothering him, because he didn't want anyone to think that he was dependent on others to solve his troubles. The threats were still being thrown his way, but he found comfort in knowing that they were empty for the time being. It was all just a matter of how long it'd take for Seifer to deem it safe to beat him up, because it would be uncharacteristic for him to just forget about what Roxas had done. And Roxas highly doubted that he had it in him to deck him again.

And then there was that whole dilemma with his parents …

"Roxas, put that out and come down." He heard Cloud say.

"What if I don't feel like it?" He snapped, "I'd like to see you climb up here and make me."

"First of all, you _know_ I can. And second, I'm offering to take you to a party."

"… Party?"

Roxas didn't usually go to parties. He wasn't that type of person, really. They always had too many people, and it was always too loud, and everyone was always too drunk. But never, not even in his wildest of dreams, had his brother ever invited him to one. He cocked an eyebrow at him. "Is it a tea party?" He questioned, "Or a children's party?"

"I'd have thought they'd have been pretty much the same thing."

"Are you going to answer me or be a smartass?"

"Do you mean I can't be both?" Cloud asked coolly.

"You're a twat." The younger boy hissed.

"Please don't use that kind of language around me, it seems trashy to come out of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, fifteen-year-old boy's mouth." Silence once again fell, and Roxas did nothing in the space of that time but stare blankly out at the street and smoke. Cloud seemed to be tapping his fingers against the roof. "It's just a regular party." He finally said, "You don't have to come, but I said I'd ask you."

Glancing at him, Roxas frowned. What did he mean? Sighing, he blew out the breath that he'd been holding in, ignoring the tendrils of smoke as they danced around him. His hand dropped and he ground the end of the cigarette against a tile. He concluded that it didn't matter what his brother had meant; he was tired of his everyday routine of absolutely nothing, and he figured that he deserved a night out to forget about his troubles. "Alright, I'll come."

"Don't slip on your way down."

"You're ever so caring. I love you."

"Shut your mouth and just get ready, Grumpy."

It was dark.

The park was swarming with people, and he was surely the youngest one there. It didn't help that he was short, and so maybe it wasn't entirely ridiculous for that guy to have mistaken him for a child. He probably shouldn't have called him a 'fucking moron'. But that was in the past, and he didn't want to dwell on it; as far as he could remember, his family didn't like to reminisce. He'd never known why, but he also never thought to ask.

Cloud hadn't stuck around after they arrived – or rather, hadn't stuck around _Roxas_. There were a lot of people from school, so it wasn't as if he was lost without his brother. A few people waved to him, and he returned the gesture half-heartedly, but continued on his search for those that he not only recognised, but felt comfortable around as well. It took a long time before he eventually spotted Sora. He should have known he'd be here; his cousin had always been the social type, and he was nothing less than popular. Despite what some close-minded wankers thought about homosexuals, Sora was typically the exception to everything, including irrational prejudices against sexualities. Nobody thought anything less of him for it, and the brat had never been treated any differently. Seifer knew better than to pick a fight with someone like Sora, because he had power in numbers; the moment fists were raised around him, you knew that there'd be about a handful or more other people lingering about with heightened vigilance. Besides, he was also stronger than he looked.

"Roxy, you're here!" The brunet chirped, smiling at him from his position atop the picnic table. Roxas only replied with a one-shouldered shrug. Riku didn't look to be there, surprisingly, but Sora was still surrounded by people, some of whom were unfamiliar to Roxas. He sat down on the bench, looking up at the other, who was sitting cross-legged on the table. "I didn't expect to see you tonight. Did you come with Cloud?" He asked, raising his voice over the chatter of the people around them.

"Yeah, but he ditched me." Roxas replied dully, taking to examining his fingernails with little interest. His brother was probably with Leon and Aerith, maybe Tifa, but obviously not Yuffie; he could see her from where he was sitting, and she was laughing hysterically at something Rikku had just said. Rikku was in most of Yuffie's classes, and she was only a little bit older than her. You wouldn't have guessed it, though, by the sight of her. Hell, Roxas acted older than the both of them combined, and that sometimes didn't say very much at all. When he wanted to be, he could be rather immature as well.

"So, where's Hayner?"

"Grounded."

"Oh really? What for?" Sora looked genuinely interested.

"He got suspended yesterday for putting geckos in the girls' bathroom." Roxas was smirking as he said it; it had been hilarious from their point-of-view. Not so much for the female students that had been in the toilets at that time, but it would have been a meaningless effort if it had been. Hearing those shrill screams had Hayner in a fit of laughter, one that quickly became contagious. Sora snickered.

"Kairi told me about that." He replied.

"Oh, was she in there?"

"Nah, but she might as well have been; she knew all the details, right down to how close one of them got to Selphie's foot." As he spoke, Sora held his thumb and forefinger up about a centimetre away from one another to demonstrate. Roxas gave a small laugh. Hayner came up with some weird, spur-of-the-moment ideas. He kept life fun.

After a little while, an older man had distracted Sora, and all those around him, by performing a card trick. Roxas wasn't interested, because he had never been particularly intrigued by such trivial "magic", so he wandered off again. He saw some of Cloud's friends, but he pretended like he hadn't so that he wouldn't have to acknowledge them, and simply kept on walking. His brother wasn't with them, probably because he was with his closer friends, like Leon and Zack and Aerith and God-knows who else. Roxas didn't much like them; it was like they thought he was a toddler. Tifa had once cooed over him. Really. And although the guys didn't think he was "adorable" like some of Cloud's female friends did, they didn't appreciate his level of comprehension. He'd be rich if he had a dollar for every time he'd heard: "It's not like he understands, anyway."

But he did.

He always understood.

A familiar voice reached his ears, and he turned around in hopes of seeing the person it belonged to. Not too far away, he saw Axel sitting in the grass, leaning against a tree. He was with people that Roxas had never seen before, but they appeared to be friends of some sort, judging by the way he looked so comfortable around them, like he'd known them for years. Maybe he had, Roxas didn't know. Eying them curiously, he noticed that one of them was babbling about one thing or another, and he had a hairstyle that he didn't see all too often. Roxas' had messy spikes that went whichever way they ended up in after he got out of bed, but this guy had a Mohawk. There was also a girl lying on her back, her arms folded beneath her head, and she had short blonde hair that looked sleek and thin. A smaller, seemingly younger boy was sitting quietly next to Axel, his cheek in his palm and boredom in his eyes. Roxas had never seen any of them before in his life, except the other male who had just approached them, standing over them with his arms crossed. He had faded pink hair, and Roxas had once seen him in the street.

Why was Axel hanging with these guys?

Frowning in wonder, he scratched just behind his ear absently. He didn't realise that Axel had noticed him. Roxas caught his eye, and his expression softened, his head tilting to one side a little. To his amazement, despite having looked right at him, Axel just turned his attention away, redirecting it to the blonde girl as she spoke. Something hit him in the chest, and he quickly identified it as hurt. He'd just been shunned, and he had no idea why. He hadn't done anything wrong, and he hadn't forgotten to do something, so what could he have possibly done that warranted the cold shoulder. Axel had just looked at him as if he were a total stranger, without any change in his expression, or even a lingering gaze. He'd just glanced at him like he was nothing. It wasn't even as though he had the excuse of not seeing him, because he'd unmistakably stared him straight in the eyes. Roxas took a couple of steps backwards, confused and saddened, before turning completely and walking away.

He bowed his head to watch his feet, and his hands slid into his pockets.

"Is everything okay?"

"Peachy."

Some girl had approached him whilst he sat on the swing, lazily rocking back and forth. She kneeled down beside him, quietly watching him for some time, before he finally deemed her dangerous and asked her what she wanted. Her dark hair glistened in the moonlight, because Roxas had situated himself a fair distance away from the centre of the party, and there weren't as many lights here. He'd picked up a glass of water from Sora on his way, because he was thirsty and didn't quite feel like drinking anything fizzy; it made his nose tingle. She offered him a sip from her glass, and he wrinkled his nose at her, before gesturing silently to his own. She shrugged and told him to suit himself, and then placed her drink on the ground.

"What's your name?" She asked. Roxas scoffed at her; like he was about to divulge his name to some creepy stranger. She'd probably stalk him. Upon seeing her persistently expectant gaze, he sighed and decided to give her what she wanted: a name.

"Aubrey." He lied, staring down at his shoes. He'd heard someone say that name today, and it was the first thing that came into his mind. Fortunately, it was also a male's name. It might have been a little suspicious if he'd said his name was Susan.

"I'm Vanessa." She purred, holding out her hand. He stared at it for a few seconds, and then stood up.

"I have to go. It's close to my curfew." He lied again; so long as he was with Cloud, he didn't have a curfew. Roxas bent down and picked up his glass, making sure that it was the one where he'd placed it. He cast her a hesitant glance and walked away. She was weird, and she'd undoubtedly made him anxious. He could have sworn that she was about to force him into the back of some van and kidnap him.

Roxas was tired; it must have been at least midnight. He was sitting on the picnic table next to Sora again, who hadn't moved since he'd last seen him. His fingers wrapped around his glass, tapping it idly, he wasn't listening to the conversation going on beside him between Sora and Yuffie. He didn't want his drink anymore; he'd only taken one sip of it back when he'd first taken it from his cousin, and he hadn't had any since, so it was still rather full. Gazing into it distantly, he swirled it around slowly. Maybe it was about time that he went home. He would have to go find Cloud, and then possibly persuade him to leave, but it wouldn't be too difficult; he'd use those sad eyes that his brother always found hard to say no to.

Bringing the glass to his lips, he figured he'd just drain it quickly and then be on his way. Tilting his head back, he poured the clear contents between his lips and downed it. It didn't take long at all for his throat to start burning. Out of sheer shock, he released the glass and it fell to the ground, but didn't shatter because the grass cushioned it. Roxas' eyes immediately started to water, and he was spluttering and coughing up whatever he could manage, spitting out what he hadn't yet swallowed. Sora looked alarmed, but the blonde paid no attention to him. He didn't know what had happened, and everything was suddenly moving so fast. Before he knew it, he was already on his feet and stumbling away, his body acting on instinct rather than a plan. Behind the safety of a tree, Roxas fell to his hands and knees, and his stomach was lurching. He threw up. His throat felt like it was on fire, and his breaths were laboured.

Someone was behind him, crouching down, and he whimpered weakly between empty heaves. He had nothing left to bring up, but he was still gagging. Whoever they were, they were stroking his hair and brushing his fringe from his eyes, comforting him. Roxas waited until his body had stopped jerking forward every time his stomach tightened, and then looked up at them through teary eyes. It was Cloud. His brother probably didn't know that it had just been a mistake, and Roxas worried that he thought he'd been drinking. He was shaking uncontrollably, and his mouth was producing excess saliva that dribbled down the side of his mouth unattractively, but it didn't drive Cloud away. His hand slipped down to rest between his shoulder blades as he sat up, wiping at his mouth, sniffing several times. Roxas shook his head, his jaw working as he tried to find the words to say. "I-I didn't …" He stuttered, "I thought … I'm s-sorry." Cloud stood up, holding the smaller blonde's upper arms to help him to his feet.

"It's okay, Roxas." He replied quietly, "Tell me all about it later. Right now, let's just get you home."

Crawling into bed, Roxas had settled down. Once they got home, he'd gone into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, and Cloud had disappeared into the bathroom. He appreciated the plain, non-alcoholic taste of water. His brother returned a little while later and told him to go have a bath, which he'd already run for him. He obediently did as he was told, because he was walking around on eggshells in fear that he'd get into trouble. Cloud didn't seem angry at all, but Roxas was worried that he might call up their parents, and then he'd be in for it. The bath had been good, it had been nice and warm, and it had relaxed the tension in his muscles. By the time he was in his pyjamas, Roxas' eyelids were heavy and his eyes were sore from fatigue.

Nestling into his pillow, wrapping himself up in the covers, the blonde heard the door creak slightly, and noticed that the light from the hallway was rapidly disappearing. "Cloud?" He called out in a whisper.

"Go to sleep, Rox." He replied softly, but Roxas wasn't satisfied. He'd sleep uneasily if he didn't have an answer to the question that was nagging at him.

"Are you going to tell Mom and Dad?" He asked, his toes curling anxiously. There was a pause, a long silence, before the door started to close again.

"No, I don't think they need to know."

There was a quiet click, and Roxas knew that the door was shut. Sighing in relief, his closed his eyes, willing slumber to come and take him away from the troubles of reality.

A/N: Did you recognise Vanessa? winkwink ;)


	4. Pas de Cheval

**A/N:** Just as a word of warning: this chapter may be subject to revision. I'm not very happy with it at the moment.

**Pas de Cheval**

Sometimes we get the feeling that Life truly hates us. It throws us curve balls when we're not even looking, and so we fail to dodge them in time. They come in all sorts of sizes, ranging from the little ones that are barely enough for us to grunt at, to the pile of bricks that leave us breathless and broken. Sometimes we see them coming, and other times they're so unexpected that the shock alone could be the end of us. We don't usually understand what we have done to deserve the treatment Life provides, but it probably wouldn't help all that much if we did, anyway. But through thick and thin, when friends are few and our luck is down, it's our family – or part of it, at the very least – that welcome us with open arms and shield us from the pain. Unfortunately, they're not exactly mind readers, and so unless we tell them our troubles, they may not necessarily give us the support we're secretly hoping for. So, sometimes they're utterly oblivious to the cause of our turmoil, and thus they're not around to lend us the hand we need; times like Friday nights in the middle of an empty street.

"I'm surprised to see you, Rox."

The short blonde didn't so much as glance over his shoulder as the reply fell from his mouth, and his gaze was focused on the lamp at the end of the road. "I'm surprised you see me, too." It was simple and quiet, void of emotion and any form of interest. He didn't know what to make of Axel's behaviour since the party almost a week ago, but he knew that he had a right to be mad. Or rather, he _felt_ mad, and he claimed his prerogative to be so lest he admit to overreacting. Roxas shoved his hands into his pockets as he saw Axel catch up with him out of his peripheral vision. He was generally pretty good at masking his emotions when he wanted to, and it was this want that prevented him from simply spinning around and letting out all of his frustration. Axel would go home black and blue and broken if his resolve slipped.

"What do you mean?" Axel asked, and he mirrored Roxas' posture. He gazed down at him curiously, more in interest than in confusion. A flicker of expression flashed upon the boy's face, almost disgusted and disbelieving, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. He shook his head and refused to turn his head in any which way direction, because he didn't want Axel to interpret any of his movements as anything other than disinterest and, to put it simply, rejection. Unfortunately, that moment of weakness hadn't gone unnoticed, and finally the confusion set into the redhead's face. "What's up with you?" He questioned somewhat roughly, probably offended by Roxas' silence and blatant disregard. Again, there came no response. Annoyed and perplexed, Axel scoffed and shook his head.

As his road came up, the taller male began to veer away without a second glance. "Right, well, call me when your period's over," he said whilst he was still within earshot. Roxas didn't say goodbye as they parted ways, and didn't look back until he was certain that his friend couldn't see him. He came to a stop and simply stared into the direction of which he'd come, at the corner of the street that Axel had turned down. Maybe he'd been too harsh. Maybe? But he didn't want to confront him without Axel understanding just how he'd felt when he'd been shunned. The only problem now was … what if Axel didn't want to speak to him after this? What if, by doing this, he'd only created a vicious cycle? Slowly, he turned around again to continue on his way home, this time with his eyes inspecting the pattern on his shoes. The only sound he heard now was the slight, quiet grind of gravel as he pivoted on the spot, and then as it crunched faintly beneath his feet.

… What if he'd just ruined their friendship?

--

Saturday morning brought rain and thunder. Despite having fallen asleep at some ungodly hour, Roxas found himself staring at the ceiling and listening to the downpour at quarter past fuck o'clock. With every crash and boom, every slap of rain against the window, he delved deeper and deeper into frustration and restlessness. Finally, he gave up any attempt at ignoring it and going back to sleep, and instead he pulled himself out of bed. He muttered under his breath, cursing the weather and the time. This was going to be yet another horrible weekend, no doubt. Roxas had spent the last five days at school, explaining to everyone who accused him of having gotten smashed off his face that he'd just didn't react well to alcohol, and his glass had somehow been swapped. He was absolutely puzzled at just how the vodka had managed to replace his water, but quite obviously it had.

It was hard to set a record straight at his high school, especially because he wasn't in with the popular crowd. He was more of wallflower student in the social ladder, neither admired nor disliked. The rumours spread like wildfire, and so it was difficult to keep up with all the added twists and lies. But, like any other shred of gossip, it quickly became yesterday's news. People were already over it; not that he was complaining. Roxas hated being the name on everybody's lips, and the stares and hushed voices that followed. Unfortunately, that wasn't the cause behind his irritation and confusion.

All throughout the week, the tales circulating around the school about all his addictions and AA meetings affected him like water to a duck's back. What did bother him, however, was the very little attention that his best friend was paying him. Ever since the party, Axel almost seemed to be distancing himself from him, and Roxas was steadily growing more hurt by it. He hadn't done a thing that deserved what he was getting, but it didn't stop Axel from walking past him obliviously in the hallways, or from the lack of conversation between them. At one point, the older male had waved him away when he was on the phone, and Roxas distinctly heard him refer to him as "that kid" to whoever he was talking to, obviously when he thought he was out of earshot. It was like he'd been stabbed by a pitchfork.

Staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, Roxas rubbed his forehead with a sigh. Automatically, his hand reached for the gel, because although his blonde hair seemed to have a spiky style all of its own, it looked rather unkempt without some assistance. He didn't know what he was going to do with the day, because he had no plans now that he and Axel weren't talking, and Hayner had been bribed into a trip to his cousin's place. It would probably be a good time to get more work done with Miley, but he dreaded any moment that involved her. Just thinking about her and her pretentious air made his nose wrinkle. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to fail this assignment, not unless he were to brave his father's wrath. With a hefty groan and a roll of his eyes, Roxas dragged his feet out of the bathroom to look for his phone.

--

"You're so, like … nerdy."

"I'm not nerdy, Miley, I just want to get this over with."

"You're a total nerd."

"I am **not**. You don't even know me."

"I know that you're a loser."

"Sure you do."

"Why do I have to be here?"

"Because it's a _paired_ assignment, meaning we have to do it _together_."

"How about this; you write it up and make it all smart, and I'll, like, decorate it and make it pretty when it's finished and stuff."

He covered his face with his hands, sighing heavily and shaking his head. The female beside him didn't react, she just sat there with one leg crossed over the other and inspected her fingernails. Utterly uninterested, she didn't even seem to notice the aggravation she was causing Roxas. "No, how about _this_. Grow up and start giving a damn," he hissed, finally fed up with her. He pushed back his chair and rose to his feet, gathering up his belongings as quickly as he could. Miley continued to check for chips in her red nail polish as he glared down at her. "You're a total dipshit. I've met brick walls that are more considerate than you, and probably smarter, too. And, oh, that's all right because you're a Grecian Goddess that us lesser beings have placed upon some God Almighty pedestal. You can do no wrong so long as you bat your eyelashes and flash that plastic smile. But Miley, you _will_ grow old, and the moment you lose your good looks, you will be absolutely _useless_," he said angrily, though he couldn't raise his voice because he was still inside the library. After spending too long with the girl and her nasty remarks, it wasn't surprising that he'd lost his temper. He left without a second glance.

But, if he _had_ taken a look over his shoulder as he walked through the automatic doors, he would have noticed the pensive look on Miley's face as she finally turned her head to consider him for a moment.

--

Those lips were rough and determined, and that mouth was hot and wet. He couldn't ignore the way his heart thudded in his chest as his shamefully familiar company sucked at the pulsing tendon in his neck. There were hands roaming his body, but his own were confused and uncertain; they seemed to be unable to reach out and actually touch anything. Panting softly, swallowing shallowly, and desperately trying to stroke the body that was so close and yet so far, he felt frustrated and lost. He couldn't help but feel like he was fighting a losing battle, but a voice in his mind was telling him that he was only losing because he wasn't fighting at all. As the wandering hands outlined his figure, he wanted to return the favour to this other person, because they were _right there_ in front of him. And they … And they …

… They were ringing?

Cloud reached over the arm of the couch and picked up the phone with blatant resentment. He must have dozed off shortly after his brother left for the library, and subsequently had a dream about … well, someone he probably shouldn't have. Pulling the receiver towards him, he pressed it to his ear. "Hello?" He grumbled automatically. The only greeting from whoever was on the other end of the line was the sound of soft sobs. "Um, hello?" He tried again, this time a littler louder and clearer.

"Roxas?"

"Cloud. What's wrong, Mom?" He asked, recognising her voice despite how meek it was. He didn't say anything about how she had mistaken him for the younger son, even though they didn't really sound alike. At least, he didn't think they did.

"Oh, it's your father. He's such a stubborn fool. We're coming home," she huffed sadly. Cloud shook his head in both confusion and exasperation.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, dear. Don't worry about it."

"Mom, you can't call me up in tears and then just tell me that it's nothing."

"I don't want to concern you with it. It's just something small that adds to the bigger picture."

"And the picture is …?"

"… We're going to get a divorce. I'm so sorry, honey."

He should have cared more than he did, but he didn't. There was no sympathy, no depression, nothing. All that he could think about when he heard those words in his mother's confirming voice was how he was going to tell Roxas, because he knew that he would be the only one capable of delivering the news to him in a way that would lessen the blow. Cloud closed his eyes, remembering the way his brother had willingly reached for his hand that night over a week ago. His chest felt tight just thinking about it; the pain in Roxas' voice, the tears in his eyes, and the anxiety in the air around him were things that he wouldn't forget so easily. It had hurt him to see his little brother so sad.

He blamed his parents for it all.

"Alright," he murmured, because he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"We should be home by tomorrow night. Do … do you think Roxas can wait until then for us to tell him?"

"… No. No, I don't." There was a pause in the conversation in which Cloud opened his eyes, waiting for a response.

"Don't you say anything to him, Cloud." The change in her tone was drastic, no longer apologetic and miserable, but rather stern and almost mad.

"He's been wanting an answer for too long, Mom; you can't just keep him in the dark like that. Besides, he really needs the time between now and tomorrow whilst you two are still away, because you know that he's just going to bottle everything up if you're around," he explained. If Cloud gave Roxas his space, the younger Strife could cry in his bedroom for as long as the tears kept coming, but he would try to be stronger than need be if their parents were in the house. Although he couldn't be sure, Cloud had a suspicion that that was because he didn't want to upset their mother or anger their father; their dad had … a firm standard of what a boy should be like, and crying was for girls.

Before his mother could object, he bid her goodbye and hung up.

--

A near deafening bang echoed throughout the entire house, so loud that he could hear it from upstairs. Cloud rose from the chair he was sitting in, abandoning the computer he'd been using whilst he went to inspect the cause of the noise. He already knew, really. Stepping into the hallway, he could hear clattering and the slap of shoes against tiles coming from the base of the stairs. With a sigh, he approached the source of the ruckus and leaned against the railing that lined the staircase. "If it isn't too much to ask, can you make sure that the front door stays on its hinges?" He called dully, watching as Roxas kicked off his shoes in the entrance hall. The smaller blonde looked up at him, frowning.

"Do you _have_ to be such a jackass, or are you just so pathetic that you have nothing better to do?" He spat, disappearing into the living room. Cloud rolled his eyes and slowly followed him, taking each step downstairs at his own leisurely pace. His brother had sat himself down on the couch, but the television was still switch off; he just seemed to be staring angrily at nothing with his arms crossed over his chest. There was nothing to do but laugh at how childish he looked as he sulked.

But that only resulted in a threatening snarl and a cushion being thrown at his head.

Cloud easily dodged the pillow, but he couldn't avoid the bitter curses and proclamations of hatred that quickly followed. He just sat down beside Roxas with his back pressed into the corner of the couch, watching him as he steadily trailed off in murmurs and huffs. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked politely, but he was smirking from the amusement that the other was providing.

"About what happened or how much you suck?"

"Either or."

"Plaid is cooler than you are," Roxas grumbled, and Cloud understood because he knew how much his brother hated the pattern. He nodded vaguely, still smiling just slightly.

"That _is_ pretty bad, huh?" He replied coolly, draping an arm over the back of the couch.

"You know Miley Rivers? I hate her. I hate her stupid hair and her stupid voice and her stupid stupid," he complained gruffly, sinking further down in his seat.

"Her stupid stupid?" Cloud questioned, fighting back the urge to laugh.

"Shut up."

There was a long silence after that. Cloud knew about the entire Rivers family, which included Miley. She was the only one that went to their school, but not the only one in the neighbourhood; her two sisters often passed by Aerith's house with their dog, and he'd met her brother in a grocery store once. Neither of her sisters were anything like her, despite one of them being her twin. He didn't know if Roxas knew about her family, because none of his friends lived as out of the way as Aerith or Zack, which was close to where the Rivers' resided.

"Do you … like her or something?" He asked hesitantly, unsure if that question was such a good idea. Neither of them ever spoke about things like that to each other, so this was unfamiliar ground.

"I do **not**!" He growled, clearly offended.

"Then why do you care so much? If she's an idiot, then she's an idiot. It's not a big deal. You've met tons of people like her."

"But this is horrible," he said quietly, probably more to himself than to Cloud. With a bit of effort, he pushed himself back onto his feet, turning his head to stare out the window into the street. "Why did _I_ get stuck with her? Why me? What did I ever do wrong to deserve all of this?" Roxas asked the children playing on the lawn across the road, watching as they ran around and screamed and laughed, completely oblivious to him and his troubles. It was his last question that made Cloud realise that Miley wasn't the real problem here, but he wasn't quite sure what was as of yet.

But before he could ask him what was worrying him, Roxas had walked away.

--

He'd been waiting for Roxas to come back downstairs all afternoon, because he wanted to tell him about the phone call he'd received from their mother. But he never came. Finally, as they day started to fade into evening, the sun setting beneath the horizon, Cloud decided that he'd have to go up to him. He knocked on his bedroom door, thinking over what he was going to say. When there came no invite, no voice, no response, his lips perked downwards into a small frown, and then he opened the door slowly. If he ever entered his brother's room without permission, he always took his time in case Roxas was doing something he didn't want to see; that would give him the chance he needed to stop, or to cover himself up if he was naked. But there was no one there when Cloud finally pushed the door as far back as it would go.

The door to the balcony was open, though.

Taking note of the mess in his brother's room, Cloud strode across the length of it until he was out the open door on the other side. There was a ladder pushed up against the side of the house. Sighing, he climbed up a few steps, just enough to be able to see Roxas lying on his back on the roof. "If you ever fall off, I claim the right to say 'I told you so'," he said casually, stepping further up the ladder so that he could sit on the edge of the roof, and then he twisted his body around enough to look at his brother. If he were to tell him to be careful now, it would be for the millionth time. He noted that Roxas' eyes were closed, and there were dying remnants of smoke lingering in the air around him; it was a sure-fire sign that he'd just finished with a cigarette. And that alone was proof that he had something on his mind.

"Did you come up here just to say that, or do you have a real reason?" Roxas asked gently, moving nothing but his lips. His hands were folded on his stomach, fingers intertwined. Cloud watched his steady breathing for a few seconds, observing his serenity with curiosity. For someone so grumpy and seemingly in the midst of typical teenage anguish, he held his composure well when he wanted to. It was kind of annoying.

"Yeah … We need to talk," Cloud replied, turning away from him to look straight out into the street. The children from earlier were gone now, but there was a woman in the garden next door, planting bright flowers in the soil. "Mom called …"

"I don't want to hear it."

Cloud didn't look at him, but he frowned at the woman who didn't even know that they were there. "What?" He asked quietly, so low that he wasn't even sure if Roxas had heard.

"I know what you're going to say, and just … just don't say it," he replied, but his voice sounded uncertain, like it didn't know whether it fully agreed with what it was saying. At this, Cloud turned his head, but all he saw was the exact same Roxas as he had moments earlier. Calm and quiet, motionless and unfazed. "Just don't say it." It was his voice that betrayed his appearance; whilst he looked so collected and uninterested, the tone in his words was strained and almost desperate. He was expecting this, clearly.

"Roxas –"

"Please, Cloud. Just go away."


End file.
